BRITAIN: "Ex-Gays" Sue To Place Ads On London's Public Transit System

A British group of "ex-gay" wackos will this week file a lawsuit to force their message onto London's public transit system. The "ex-gay" billboards mock those of the local LGBT rights group, Stonewall, which has run a transit campaign declaring that "Some people are gay. Get over it!"  Last year Mayor Boris Johnson blocked the "ex-gay" campaign, saying that "it is clearly offensive to suggest that being gay is an illness that someone recovers from."

“This is all about being free to talk about these issues,” said Dr Davidson, who himself has a homosexual past, but has been attracted controversy for suggesting gays can become heterosexual through counselling and prayer. “It was a mistake to assume these views we were expressing came from entrenched homophobia, and failed to recognise that people who want to walk away from their homosexual feelings are a group in their own right.” He has instructed Paul Diamond, the human rights barrister, in this week’s case. Stifling debate by banning their advert amounted to discrimination, the trust will argue.

From Rule 4.1 of the British Advertising Standards Authority:  "Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age."  Aside from the "offence" issue, the "ex-gay" message can be contested on the grounds of the "truthfulness and substantiation" of any advertising claim.

Here's a clip from Davidson.